Horseback archery in four varieties: Korean, Turkish, Hungarian and Kazakh, traditional archery, horseback wrestling and classical wrestling. Participants of the World Nomad Games, which are held in the capital of Kazakhstan – Astana, compete in these disciplines, among others. Polish representatives have already been included in the medal standings.
Both medals (one gold and one silver) were won by women, Urszula Hofman and Sonia Lniany in one of the varieties of Kazakh wrestling. This puts us in 6th position in the overall ranking.
After three days of competition, the home team is in first place. So far, they have won 48 medals, 21 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze. The Kyrgyz are in second place and the Uzbeks in third.
The 5th World Nomad Games, which began on Sunday, have attracted thousands of tourists from around the world to the Kazakh capital. Free shuttle buses run between the competition arenas. There are dozens of volunteers on the streets, on the buses and at the competition venues who speak at least communicative English.
Admission to the competition costs from PLN 1,000. up to 4 thousand tenge (approx. PLN 8-32), only for the final competitions in some disciplines it is more expensive.
The games are also a place where you can see folk crafts, try local dishes and listen to ethnic music. Each of the 17 districts (equivalent to Polish voivodeships) has its own yurts in which local art, clothing, musical instruments, etc. are displayed. Most of them also have a band playing folk instruments. Popular music artists known throughout the country also perform on the stages.
Hundreds of police officers monitor security, and there are controls at the entrances to the competition arenas similar to those at airports. The sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in ethnohalls (as the areas adjacent to the competition venues are called). A European fan (and there are many) might forget the traditional beer that usually accompanies the crowd.
More information about the 5th World Nomad Games can be found on the event’s official website.
